Wheelchair / buggy on bus

[MoonlightMistletoe]

Today I had got the bus with my sister we both have children I had my toddler who was walking and my one year old who's only just started to walk who is still in a buggy, my sister has a 12week old baby who was also in a buggy.

We had got on the bus as you do and the next stop another parent got on with their buggy, a few stops later we stop and straight away a woman is screaming/shouting at the rear doors with her phone in our faces demanding we collapse our buggies, very angry , shouting at us with buggies and also at the driver. The driver is telling us to stay put due to her being aggressive and recording us. Someone on the bus was telling us to co operate with the woman who wanted to get a person on the bus who was in a wheelchair. We know disabled people are a priority and had absolutely not said we wouldn't put the buggies down, I was taking my sleeping one year out the buggy while this woman was still swearing and being nasty and recording us, I had given my baby to my sister to sit with my toddler and herself while I was about to take her baby out the pram then all of a sudden everyone made a "ohhhhhhh" gasp and the disabled man has fallen down the side of the curb and bus sideways in his wheelchair.

She then looses her absolute shit at us for her own mistakes being so caught up in recording us to make sure we move that the man is now probably injured.

AIBU to think all she had to do was say excuse me can we move the buggies so I can get the wheelchair on?

@HoHoHoik and in tbe real world the driver is already 10 minute late, the person in the wheelchair just wants to board the bus cos its raining and the driver doesn't have the time to stand holding the babies whilst you fold and try to stow the base then find somewhere to stow two car seats then sort the ramp for the wheelchair user whilst everyone calmly contemplates their opportunity to relax in a stationary bus.

I've been on buses where other passengers have started loudly complaining because a parent has got in and needed to collapse their buggy (2 buggy limit here) and how they should just walk / driver shouldn't let them on etc.

@AwakeAmbs I can't believe I just read that.

If these hypothetical twins are in car seats then they don't need to be held by anyone, the car seats are holding them so there would only be the frame to deal with which is a simple fold and store. Anyone tutting and muttering is welcome to crack on with it and if they loudly complained they'd be politely told to shut up.

Hey, you think they're hypothetical, you can come and do the 3 am feed!!!!! 😂😂 Tbryre car seats still need to go somewhere, and in a busy bus that ain't the floor where some idiot will trip over them!

As a mother of twins I was beyond grateful I was able to drive everywhere, it wasn't green but it was possible.
I'm not seeing how irregular public transport with twins would be possible.
That doesn't mean that it is the responsibility of people who use wheelchairs to facilitate twin parents.
But public transport sounds like a nightmare and that can't be good for the planets future.

@dreichhogmanay we used to catch the bus to school but realistically will have to walk it once I'm back in scho run, and our service is meant to be every 7 minutes 😂😂😂😂yeah right. Really feel for anyone on a less frequent service.

Why would babies on a bus be in car seats? Bearing in mind their time in them should be limited?

Get some counselling if your wheelchair gives you anger issues

I think people, who post things like this should receive a temporary ban. @AwakeAmbs

@1plus2equalstrouble see that’s why it’s such a problem if I can’t get on the bus; there isn’t one every 7 minutes, there’s one per hour.

It's a very different situation when it's an infrequent service.

@gingersausage I read it too! Totally agree with what you said. People saying 'just fold your buggy and don't be lazy' have no idea how difficult that can be.

I think 2 things need to happen:

1. Buses need to improve their signage to be clear about the use of the space 'this area is for wheelchair users or unfolded prams/buggies. Wheelchairs will take priority so in the absence of enough space, buggies will need to be folded otherwise unfolded buggies will need to disembark'

1. Bus drivers need to get more training around how to handle these situations and make sure they are all consistent in how they deal with it

Disgusting comment AwakeAmbs. I dread to think what sort of example you are setting your child.

Signs like this are pretty clear and pretty universally used on public transport.

Makes no difference though when a small minority of parents are too selfish to pay attention

People know the rules but ignore them.

I always want to ask where the folded buggies go? The busses near me have this sign but no luggage racks. Policies are a waste of time if no one has a clue how to implement them

All the buses here have stickers saying you are welcome to use the wheelchair space with a buggy unless someone with a wheelchair requires it. That’s the rule- it’s not difficult to understand. So there is no absolutely zero need to fold it up before you get on the bus despite what many people here apparently would like. You can do exactly what you did and should continue to do so. The women sounds like a rude aggressive asshat. Clearly she doesn’t understand how the bus works.

I can't speak for everyone but I'd much prefer to board a bus with an already folded down buggy. Maybe it's my pessimistic side but I'd rather that than be on the bus worrying about the logistics of collapsing a buggy on a moving vehicle. However until there is a safe way to store a folded buggy that sign is a load of useless bollocks.

How is a sign telling people it is priority area for wheelchairs and buggies need to be moved if a wheelchair wants it, useless bollocks?

Because there is no point telling people they may need to fold and move if there is no space to put folded buggies.

Ok the fold can left out but the move isn't bollocks.

Also the fact that each bus driver seems to interpret it differently doesn't help

I've been dreaming about busses last night! Also have been thinking about the storage space for collapsed buggies, now this area here seems to take up so much space which one either could be taken out completely and used as another disabled area OR they make that unit deeper so you can actually put your buggy inside of it.

Also I feel if you take out say 4seats on a bus to make extra space considering there are literally two rows of seating space on the top deck it wouldn't be the end of the world.

That space does seem a total waste agree OP it could help.

The thing is there is literally one space a person with a wheelchair can use. It’s not equal for disabled people and as parents and hopefully as people with the tiniest bit of empathy we shouldn’t be making life even more difficult for wheelchair users.

It’s rarely been an issue for me but as mentioned previously I have far more options than a wheelchair user. I’m perfectly happy to vacate the space if someone needs it. It’s really not complicated.

@awakeambs. I've reported your disgusting post. I hope that you never have to experience any kind of disability in life. Am honestly shocked at what you posted.

In this case, you were right to keep the buggies up. The bus should have just left the bus stop there and then and the carer wait for another bus. Maybe that way she'll learn not to be so aggressive, but should probably lose her job.